


Three Sides

by Darkwolfhunter900



Category: Oxenfree
Genre: Everyone's over 21 here, F/F, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Ghosts, M/M, Michael's Alive, band au, bass guitarist alex, dancer nona, drummer jonas and michael, guitarist clarissa, keyboardist ren, this is the oxenband au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-26
Updated: 2017-02-19
Packaged: 2018-09-20 02:29:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 17,067
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9471407
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Darkwolfhunter900/pseuds/Darkwolfhunter900
Summary: In 1943, an orchestra and the audience perished in a fire. Decades later, the Edwards Center for the Arts was built where the orchestra hall once stood, and a band takes up that space to practice. But, when the ghosts of the past make themselves known, will this band succumb to them, or survive the supernatural onslaught?





	1. There Are Three Sides to Every Story

The voice of an unknown nurse, quiet and uninterested, barely audible over the noise of the party, still echoes in Alex’s head. Asking Alex if she’s Michael sister, telling her that Michael got into a car crash. An apathetic voice letting her know that her brother was in the hospital. The news seemed to sober her up instantly, and her first thought was ‘I just caused Michael to crash’. Her second thought was frantically trying to dial her mother, worried that they hadn’t reached her parents and she was the only one who answered the phone. If Michael died because of the crash, if he was permanently injured because of her calling him for a ride at 4am, then she didn’t know what she would do with herself. In the back of her head, she idly realized that she could hear her breath, hyperventilating in the back corner of the kitchen, all alone with no way to get to Mich-

“Alex.”

The voice causes her to snap out of the memory, jumping in the car seat, hands tightly clenched around the steering wheel. She turns to face the passenger, and her breath starts to calm as she stares at Michael, worse for wear, but still alive.

“Hey, you started to zone out right when we pulled up, is everything okay?” Michael rested his hand on her shoulder and she could feel the last bit of fear leave her mind as her heart slowed. But her guilt was still present, her heart aching as her eyes slowly drifted down to his casted leg. “Alex, come on, you know I’m here for you. What’s wrong?”

She shifted in her seat, her knee starting bounce, needing to feel something to keep her attention on the present. Her eyes drift away from Michael’s leg and she locks eyes with him. After taking a shaky breath, she starts to answer the question. “I… caused this,” She gestures to him, specifically his injuries. “I called you for a ride and you got into an accident driving to pick me up. If I hadn’t called, if I didn’t go to that party, you…” You wouldn’t have these broken bones.

Michael’s grip on her shoulder tightens and she refocuses her gaze on her older brother, swiping at the beginnings of tears in her eyes. “Alex, listen to me. What happened that night wasn’t your fault. You called me because you knew you couldn’t drive home, and you called me so that you could get back safely. Nothing is wrong with that.” He twists his upper body in the seat of the car to fully face her, and places his other hand on her left shoulder, squeezing it. “My accident happened because some guy wasn’t looking where he was driving, and was probably three sheets to the wind. It wasn’t anyone’s fault except for the other guy driving, okay?” Alex slowly nods to his words, sniffling quietly as the two just sit, waiting for the other one to do something.

Alex was the first one to break the silence, taking a deep breath before taking the keys out of the ignition and flashing Michael a smile. “So, you ready to go inside?”

Michael chuckled, patiently waiting in his seat after he unbuckled. “I’ve been ready. Just been waiting on you.” Alex snorted, rolling her eyes as she got out of the truck. She picked the folded wheelchair out from the truck bed and walked to Michael’s side of the cab. After making sure that every metal joint in the wheelchair was secure after setting it up, she opened the door and held out her hand for Michael. Her brother grasped her hand tightly as he unsteadily got out of the vehicle, careful not to twist his broken leg as he sat down. Once situated, he flashed Alex a thumbs up and Alex went about locking her truck up.

After making sure that her truck was locked and she had the right papers and bills in her jacket, she returned to Michael’s side and started to push the wheelchair up the driveway. “Ugh, jeez, you’re so heavy. You know you can push yourself up this, right?” Alex joked, exaggerating her efforts to push him towards the front door.

Michael hummed in contemplation, rubbing his chin. “Yes but how many times in my life do I get my little sister to push me around without having to put any effort into moving? Exactly one time and this is it so I’m enjoying myself.” Alex gave another groan and Michael laughed, smiling as the two of them made their way towards the front door.

It took some navigating to get Michael around the tight corner of the front door and the hallway of the house, but after a solid minute of cursing wooden furniture and architects, the two got the wheelchair (and Michael, by extension) through the entryway without much of a problem.

The two high fived each other before Alex bends over, swiping her brow and taking a moment to gain her breath after having just lifted a heavy chest so that Michael could scoot on by into the house.

“That was entertaining.” The sudden voice in the home made Alex jump, clutching her heart.

“Jesus!”

“Holy hell.”

At the sound of familiar laughter, Alex finally noticed Jonas, leaning against the hallway, a smile on his face.

Alex frowns, squinting at him. “How long have you been there?” She folds her arms and tilts her head, but the heavy rising of her chest and the fact that she just jumped nearly two feet into the air negates any intimidating effect she was going for.

Jonas hums, stroking his chin and the small amount of facial hair that had grown there. “I’d say about 30 seconds. Long enough to hear you cursing trees and how ‘they shouldn’t become furniture because they only get in the way’. Sound about right?” His pseudo smugness drops once he’s done talking, and immediately runs across the small distance of the hall to pick up Alex, spinning her around in a tight hug. “I’ve missed you guys so much,” He says, hugging Alex for a few more seconds before putting her down. His hug with Michael was less… fluid, with Jonas having to avoid Michael’s injured leg and the confines of the wheelchair while also trying to show how excited he was to see his siblings again.

Once welcoming hugs were given out, the three of them go into the living room of the house, with Alex asking Jonas questions. “When did you come down? How are you down? I thought you were in the middle of the semester! And we didn’t even see your car in the driveway.” Jonas shrugs, a smile on his face as he adjusts his old beanie.

“Came down when my dad called to tell me that Michael was out of the hospital. I had to take a red-eye flight back here but I’m not complaining. My professors were quick to understand about the need to leave and inability to be at classes so they’re letting any classwork I miss this week be a free pass.” The three eventually make their way towards the large couches in the room, with Jonas and Alex sitting next to each other and Michael facing the two of them in his wheelchair. “However, I wanted to be home for as long as I can to make sure everyone’s okay so… I switched to the online program. Makes it easier to keep up with everything and allows me to keep an eye on the family. Plus, I can always make up lab classes later.”

Michael shook his head, a grin on his face. “Well, I’m happy you made it home in one piece. Speaking of home, where are mom and dad? I was expecting them to be in here-”

“Oh, they’re fixing up the guest bedroom. They wanted to make sure it was set up so that you could sleep here and everything. That’s what I was doing when you guys were struggling to get inside.” Jonas answered, getting up from the couch. “I’ll go get them, hold on.”

After he left the room, Alex glances at Michael, who was still looking in the direction where Jonas went. His silence causes her to get nervous, worried that he’s thinking about the fact that he’ll be staying home for the next few months to recover. Just as she opens her mouth to say something, their parents walk in, and envelope the two in warm hugs.

Soon, everyone, sans Michael, sat on the couch, discussing the living situations. It was settled that Michael would stay at the house to heal and be taken to physical therapy, as Alex and Michael’s fourth floor and elevator-less apartment was unconducive of Michael’s healing. However, since Jonas didn’t have a place to stay, he would then live at the apartment with Alex until Michael recovered. The three of them agreed, however Michael requested that Jonas bring a small amount of his things from his apartment room to the home, as he wanted to somewhat decorate the guest room for the four plus months that he would be in there during the recovery period. Jonas quickly agreed, and soon the family found themselves preparing a large dinner for all five of them, and basked in the time spent with family.

After dinner, Alex and Jonas bid farewell to their parents and sibling, with Michael making each of them promise him that they’d look out after the other one. They threw Jonas’s bags in the back of Alex’s truck, and with a goodbye wave, they were off.  
\----  
The ride from their parent’s home to Michael and Alex’s small apartment in Seattle was rather short, as the lack of traffic on the highways helped to speed up their journey. And after a quick stop at a gas station, the two found themselves parked outside of the apartment complex in no time.

“You ready to go in?” Alex asked, looking over at Jonas who was taking in the city with a wide eye stare. Having never traveled to the city, Jonas was seemingly awestruck by the sights of the Oregon city. With an answering ‘Uh huh,’ the two got out of the truck, and Alex grabbed Jonas’s things, allowing him more time to take in the city. “Come on, I’ll show you some more places later this week if you want. We can even go get some food at this great dive that Ren and I found.”

At the mention of the name, Jonas turned to look at Alex with confusion. “Ren? He’s here? I thought he went off on a ‘self discovery’ journey a few years ago.”

Alex shook her head, handing Jonas one of his bags. “Nope. Never did it. Lost motivation and decided to move here a few months after Michael and I did. He works at record store just a few blocks down.” As Alex talked, the two of them headed up to the apartment. “Why so curious, though? I thought you didn’t care too much about Ren. Still got that high school crush on him, hm?”

As the words left her mouth, Jonas started to sputter, spinning towards Alex. “Wh-what?! N-no! No. Nope. Just curious about what my sister’s best friend is doing, that’s all.”

“Mhmm. Suuure you are.”

“I am!”

“Your blushing cheeks say otherwise, Jonas.”

Jonas grumbled, looking away from Alex and waiting for her to unlock the door. “Can we just go inside? My arm is aching from holding my bags for so long.” Alex grinned at him, slowly turning the key in the lock, taking her time. “Alex, come on,” he complained, groaning at her laughter.

“Alright, alright.” Alex opened the door, letting Jonas dash in and drop the bag in the small living room space. “Jeez, impatient much?” Jonas’s only response was another grumble as he went over the back of the couch and onto the cushions, face resting on a pillow. Alex laughed, placing the other bag of Jonas’s next to the one that Jonas put down. As Alex turned to lock the door, two arms wrapped around her and she started to shriek, getting ready to slam her elbow into the stomach of the unknown person.  
“Woah, woah, woah! Alex, it’s me! Ren! Please don’t hit me in the stomach,” Ren quickly spoke, letting go of Alex to cover his torso with his arms. “Your elbows hurt, have mercy.” Alex, taking a moment to catch her breath, spun around to face him.

Her best friend gave a meek laugh as he slowly opened his eyes, relaxing his arms when he realized that the hit he was bracing for would never come. He breathed a sigh of relief before standing up straight. He flinched when Alex punched him in the shoulder, crying out.

“Ren! Don’t you ever scare me like that again, you jerk!” Alex yelled, running a hand through her hair and placing her other hand on her heart. “Jesus, you practically gave me a heart attack.”

Ren rubbed his shoulder, pouting. “That hurt y’know… And I was just trying to surprise you with a hug. I didn’t expect you to go all warrior on me.” He stopped rubbing his shoulder and started to look around the apartment. “So where’s Michael? How’d you get him up here? Didn’t you say he was in a wheelchair?”

At this point, Jonas sat up on the couch, beanie cockeyed and hair sticking out from under it. “Actually, Michael’s staying at our parent’s house.” Ren jumped, screaming at Jonas’s voice, not expecting it. “Ren, stop.” At his continuous scream, Jonas rolled his eyes, standing up from the couch. “Ren, knock it off.”

Alex rolled her eyes, a small smile on her face as Ren stopped, Jonas starting to bicker with him about how loud he was. Alex patted her friend on the back, starting to answer Ren’s questions and putting a quick end to Jonas’s bickering. “Since Michael’s staying at our parent’s house, Jonas is staying here for the time Michael’s recovering.”

Ren turned to face Alex, ignoring Jonas to focus on his friend. “Yeah? Hmm. Might be odd having Jonas here instead of Michael but… I’m sure it’ll be a quick adjustment.” Jonas scoffed at this, getting closer to Ren.

“Adjustment? Alex and I have lived together for years before we all moved out. What do you mean adjustment? It’s not like you’re the one living here.” Jonas crossed his arms, looking quite peeved at Ren’s comments.

“Well, when your best friend always hosts movie nights every week, and you tend to come here after work shifts, I’d say, yeah, I do kinda live here.”

“Right, okay, so if I just go to a random apartment for multiple times a week, I live there, then? Is that right?”

“Not when it’s a random apartment. Only if it’s a friend or… an acquaintance.”

“That makes no sense!”

Alex groaned, feeling a headache form in the front of her head. “Okay, enough! Stop it, the two of you. Jonas lives here now, and Ren, yes, you do hang out here a lot, but it’s not the same as living, okay? So can we stop the childish arguments and just relax?” She exclaimed, rubbing her forehead.

“Ugh, whatever. I’m going to go set my things up in Michael’s room and pack up that stuff that he wanted. Goodnight Alex.” Jonas bent over to pick up his things and brushed past Ren, walking towards Michael’s room.

Ren waved at Jonas. “Goodnight to you too, Jonas!” Jonas muttered under his breath, not paying him much attention as he opened the door to the bedroom and disappeared inside. “Well, he seems happy to be here.” Alex snorted and lightly punched Ren on his other shoulder, moving past him to sit on the couch. “What? It’s true. I’ve never seen him so grumpy before.”

“Give him a break. It’s been a long, emotional day for us.” Alex stretched, cracking her knuckles as she got comfortable. “Besides, I don’t blame him for being grumpy. He took an overnight flight to get here to make sure Michael was safe, he’s probably running on a few hours of sleep.” Ren hummed, jumping over the back of the sofa and laying upside down next to Alex.

Ren glanced up at Alex, grinning at her. “Yeah, but still. Doesn’t mean he’s not a grumpy guy.” Alex sighed, patting Ren’s stomach as a sign of her slight annoyance. “Alright, alright.”

Alex shifted on the cushions, putting her forearm over her eyes and started to relax. “Did you happen to talk to Clarissa today about meeting tomorrow? I know you’re worried about the band.”

Ren cleared his throat, adjusting himself so that he was sitting properly in the sofa. “Yeah. She agreed to meet at my place. Wants to get it over with so that we can get back to practicing.” Ren crossed his legs and started to bounce his knee. “She didn’t talk about it, but… I’m nervous about the fact that we don’t have a drummer now. Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy that Michael is alright, but if we can’t find a drummer in a few weeks for the performance at Edwards Art Center, then we can’t get that big pay the owner promised. And we’re already behind performance and money-wise! I just-”

Alex’s hand on his leg caused him to stop mid-rant, looking towards his best friend. She had moved her arm from her face and gave Ren a gentle smile. “It’s okay. I have an idea of what to do. Don’t worry. We’ll be okay. Trust me, Ren.”

Ren took a breath, closing his eyes before opening them, smiling back at his friend. “You’re right. We got this.” A sudden thought caused him to frown, looking away. “I’m worried about you and Clarissa, though. She sounded pretty pissed when I talked to her. I just don’t want you guys tearing the band, and all of our friendships, apart.”

Alex bit her bottom lip, anxious about the thought of the tensions that would be raised at their meeting the next day. “Well, we’ll see what happens, right?” With a deep breath, Alex gave Ren another smile. “But enough about this, let’s watch some TV to make sure we don’t end this night on a bad note, okay?” Ren grinned, and got off the couch to enter the kitchen to most likely grab some food. The two were going to enjoy some friend bonding before Ren had to leave to return to his own apartment for the night.

\------  
It wasn’t the alarm that Jonas had set on his phone that had woken him up, but rather the raised voices arguing in the room just outside the bedroom. With a groan, Jonas got up, putting on a tossed aside t-shirt and rooting through his things so he could grab a pair of sweatpants to put on over his boxers. He didn’t know who was outside that door but figured it was most likely a heated debate between Alex and Ren, and the last thing he wanted to do was barge into the room with just his boxers on while Ren and Alex quarreled about whether or not the main character of their show would actually be able to do the things shown.

He opened the door after feeling satisfied that his clothing was appropriate, rubbing his eyes as he left the room. As he did so, the full force of the voices screaming at each other hit him, and he realized that the other person in the apartment was not Ren, but rather Clarissa. She was currently in Alex’s face, jabbing her finger at his sister’s chest, yelling at her about something to do with Michael.

“Hey!” His voice caused the two of them to stop and look in his direction. “Knock it off you guys!” Clarissa scoffed at him, taking a step back from Alex, who turned her head back to face Clarissa. She started to open her mouth for some inevitable rebuttal but Jonas stopped her. “Alex! Enough! What in god’s name is going on?”

Alex glared up at Clarissa, daring her to speak first. The taller woman glowered back, and started to speak. “I just came here to grab Mike’s things. I’m going to visit him and he asked me to grab his stuff. Except when I asked to grab it, this one prevented me from walking into the room-”

“Yeah, because you barged in here like you owned the place and wanted to stampede into the room where my brother was sleeping!” Alex exclaimed, throwing her hands into the air.

“Well how was I supposed to know that your step-brother would be sleeping in your brother’s room?” Clarissa shot back.

“You didn’t give me a chance to explain before you started blaming me for everything that happened!”

“What, are you denying that it’s _not_ your fault? That it’s not your fault that Michael has a fractured femur, broken ribs, and god knows what else? That it’s not your fault that, had you not called him that night when you were three fucking sheets to the wind, he-”  
Jonas pushed the two apart, hands on their lower chest, making them both take a step back. “Okay, enough! Knock it off! Arguing about whose fault a freak accident was isn’t going to solve anything, so chill out Clarissa! Alex doesn’t deserve it, she’s been through enough already.”

Clarissa snorted, eyebrow raised, nose flaring in anger. “Alex doesn’t deserve it? What ab-” The sound of a phone ringing stopped her, mid sentence, and she stood there, breathing heavily, before she realized that it was her phone that was ringing. “After I answer this, I’m leaving with the box, you two understand?”

Alex huffed, crossing her arms and looking to the side. “Yeah, crystal clear, princess.” She held up her hands when Jonas turned around and pointed his finger at her in a warning. “Alright, alright. Jeez. I’ll be in my room. Tell me when _her Majesty_ has left.”

As she walked by Jonas, he reached out and ruffled her hair. She swatted his hands back, but the action at least brought a smile to her face as she left the living space. Clarissa returned a few seconds later, looking impatient and still rather pissed. Apparently her phone call was short but enough to get her in the mood to stop arguing and leave the place. At Clarissa’s eyebrow raising in an unspoken question, Jonas cleared his throat and jogged back to the room, grabbing the box and returning to hand it to Clarissa.

He pointed to the few things in the box, “This is everything that Michael wanted. If he needs anything else, let him know he can always call us.” Clarissa’s angry expression softened just the slightest, and she gave him a quiet ‘Thank you’ before turning on her heel and leaving the apartment.

When the door closed behind her, Jonas breathed a sigh of relief and slumped against the closest wall, running a hand through his hair. After taking a few seconds to collect himself, he walked to Alex’s room, knocking lightly before entering. His sister was currently laying on her bed, eyes closed and headphones on. The music she was listening to could just barely be heard and Jonas shook his head. He walked up to her bed and lightly tapped her legs and she shot up from the bed, eyes wide open and ready to fight. Jonas held up his hands with amusement and tapped his ears with one hand to silently tell her to take the headphones off.

Once she did so, he relaxed, putting his hands down. “Clarissa’s gone. Left a few minutes ago with the box.” Jonas took a seat on the edge of Alex’s bed, watching her turn her music off and put away her headphones. “What happened to the two of you? Didn’t you guys use to be like… somewhat close?”

Alex cracked her knuckles as she sat up, looking at Jonas. “We were. Until the accident. She blames me for what happened, as you probably could figure out from what she was yelling at me for. I don’t blame her, though. It kind of is my fault.” Alex rubbed the back of her neck and started to avoid Jonas’s gaze.

Jonas furrowed his brows and nudged Alex with his hand, getting her to look back over at him. “Hey, it’s not your fault and you know it. It was an accident nobody could’ve predicted.” Alex, wiping the beginning of tears in her eyes with her sleeve, laughed under her breath. “What? Did I say something funny?”

Alex shook her head, smiling up at Jonas. “No, it’s just you and Michael said almost the same thing.” Jonas’s worried expression turned into a smug smile as he put his arms on his hips and stuck his chest out in a ‘hero’ pose.

Alex snorted with laughter at the sight, lightly shoving Jonas. The two started to laugh before Jonas spoke, his tone serious. “Maybe you should listen to your brothers then, okay? Michael and I are known to be right occasionally.” At another snort from Alex he rolled his eyes. “I said occasionally!” Alex shook her head and moved closer to Jonas so that she could lean her head on his shoulder. “What do you say I go make some breakfast and we can talk about sightseeing this week?”

Alex hummed, rubbing her chin with her fingers. “I don’t know. Cooking from someone with a history of burning boiling pasta? Doesn’t sound too safe.”

Jonas made an indignant sound and looked down at his sister. “I’ll have you know that the pasta happened once because Dad called me away for something. Plus I’ve been better at cooking. I know how to make a lot of things without burning, She Who Ruins Mac and Cheese.”

Alex groaned in defeat. “It was one time. _One time_!” She exclaimed, sitting up shaking her head.

“Yeah, for that recipe. You burnt Kraft Mac and Cheese. That stuff is like, impossible to mess up.” Jonas grinned at Alex, eyebrow raised and ready to hear her explanation.

Alex huffed and crossed her arms. “The instructions can be confusing.”

With a laugh, Jonas nudged her with his shoulder and stood up, leaving the room and thinking of what he would make for the two of them.  
\-----  
Clarissa rhythmically against her steering wheel, listening to the music on the radio as she pulled up to a parking spot outside of Ren’s apartment. The keyboardist had asked her to come over to his apartment so that both of them, and Alex, could talk about the future of Three Sides. She figured that, with their performance in a few months, Ren would be freaking out over the band, and, in some way, she was happy for the distraction from Michael.

She had thought that, after visiting him at his parent’s home instead of the hospital, she would feel better. That seeing him not hooked up to the various machines and having nurses stop in periodically to check him would improve her mood, quell her anger. But it didn’t.

Seeing him confined to the wheelchair, with the massive cast on? It only made her anger worse, and she desperately wanted a distraction from the thoughts in her head. So, the perfect thing was to go talk about the band, worry about something else besides her boyfriend. She needed it. She can worry about Michael again when she’s lying awake in her bed at 4am, but for now, she was focused on the present.

Clarissa shot Ren a quick text letting him know that she arrived and exited her car, locking it up before waiting by the entrance of the apartment building. Her fingers itched to reach into her coat pocket and pull out her cigarette pack but she fought the feeling off by realizing that she wouldn’t get to finish the cigarette since she knew Ren would be down in a few seconds.

However, that didn’t stop her fingers from playing with the pocket, dancing around the strong temptation. Thankfully, just as she was about to give in, the familiar short blond poked his head outside, looking for Clarissa. Seeing her near the wall, he ushered her inside, bringing her up to his apartment.

Ren opened the door for her, and she walked in. The familiar smell of cheetos and the faint whiff of weed hit her as she stepped in. She was about to joke that he should get an air freshener when the familiar figure of Jonas, lounging on a chair, caught her attention. Her eyes narrowed and she glared at the man.

“What’s he doing here? Isn’t this just a meeting for band members? Because last time I checked, he’s not a member.” Her voice was acrid, and the room seemed to be filled with an uncomfortable silence.

Jonas shifted in the chair, adjusting his beanie and looking up at Clarissa. “Well, actually, I-”

“Jonas is here because he’s part of the band now. He’s going to be the drummer.” Alex interrupted her brother, standing behind him and placing a hand on the chair.

Jonas flashed Clarissa an uneasy smile as he started to explain himself. “Yeah, Michael always talked about being the drummer, and I know you guys were worried about it, so I figured, why not? I’ve been playing since I was little and I know my way around a drum kit better than anyone else you can find in this city.”

Clarissa laughed indignantly, throwing her hands into the air. “Great! We lose Michael and downgrade to a step-brother who’s barely around. Wonderful.”

“Excuse me?!” Alex steps up in front of Clarissa, scowling up at her. “Jonas is just as much of a brother to me as Michael. And, for your information, Jonas has been gone because he’s getting his degree. So leave him alone and out of your ridiculous hate that you suddenly have for my family.”

Clarissa leaned down closer to Alex, staring right into her eyes. “I don’t hate your family. I happen to love your parents and Michael. What I hate are 2-bit replacements who are barely better than a rock and someone who caused her brother to get into a car accident. _That’s_ what I hate. So don’t pleasure yourself thinking that I hate your family.”

Alex clenched her fist, and Clarissa could see in her eyes that she was contemplating hitting Clarissa. There was a part of Clarissa’s mind that wanted her to tell Alex to do it, give Clarissa another reason to blame her for something, another outlet for Clarissa’s anger. But a better part made her resist and take a step back. In the same moment that she took a step back, Ren pushed his way in between the two of them.

“Ohhh-kay everyone, let’s just calm down, relax, and remember that the reason we’re all here is to get our set list together for the performance at the new center for the arts. Can we all agree on that?” Ren pleaded, looking between both of his bandmates.

“Fine. I’ll be civil. What’s the music, Reginald?” Clarissa turned away from Alex, taking a seat on another chair in Ren’s living room. She watched Alex close her eyes, take a breath, and turn to go stand next to Jonas. Ren clapped his hands together and smiled, walking over to his shelves that held all of the boxes of sheet music. He pulled out one particular box and carried it over to his coffee table, tossing the lid open and grabbing a few.

Ren cleared his throat before holding up two songs and presenting them to his bandmates. “I now present to you, our other two songs for the set list. This one,” He waved the booklet in his right hand, “is a great song that really shows off your low-alto vocal range, Clarissa, and emphasizes the bass that Alex can really shine on. It’s slightly out of our typical genre, but I know that we can pull it together after a few solid rehearsals.” Clarissa nodded in agreement and held out her hand. Ren placed the sheet music in her hand and she started to browse through it, already making a mental checklist on what she would need to do.

“And the one in my left hand sticks with our original genre but it’s key that the drums be on point. So Jonas, this one’s all up to you.” Jonas smiled and accepted the music, skimming through it. Ren handed a copy of both the musical pieces to Alex and the music that the other didn’t have to Clarissa and Jonas.

Clarissa looked up at Ren, who was watching everyone’s reactions. She held up the first piece that Ren gave her. “You know that this song has heavy guitar, too, right?”

Ren nodded, grinning. “Yeah. I also know that you can handle it.”

Clarissa smirked, sitting a little taller in the chair. “Be careful, Reginald. Wouldn’t want to stroke my ego too much.”

Jonas cleared his throat, grabbing the attention of the two. “So, uh, what’s the first song? If there are the three songs, what about the first?” Ren snapped his fingers and turned back to the box, quickly rooting through it before producing another sheet of music. Jonas thanked him and looked at hit. He frowned and looked back up at Ren. “So, if two of these songs are basically indie songs, why change it up with the second song? I mean, if you’re good at something, stick with it, don’t change, right? Like, why change the tone of the performance with the second song?”

Ren gave an awkward laugh and crossed his arms. “Well, Jonas, I typically pick songs that the band can shine with and have fun with. And, in my somewhat long history of performing music, never in my life has a change in tone ever been a bad thing in a performance.”

Jonas made a face and stared at Ren. “Well, I’m just telling you that this doesn’t seem like a good idea. Switching from indie to rock and then back again? I mean, how does this make sense?” He questioned Ren, not understanding why the shorter man thought this was a good idea. Clarissa took her attention away from the two of them to look at Alex, and was surprised to see a clear conflict on her face. Just as she was about to say something to break the two of them up, her phone rang, and she checked it. _Nona_ , Clarissa thought, and immediately got up.

“As entertaining as it is to listen to you two bicker like children, I have to answer this call from my best friend, so I’ll be right back.” Clarissa put the music down on her chair and brushed past Ren, opening the door to the hallway.

“Tell Nona I said hi!” Ren called out, momentarily broken from his focus on dispute with Jonas.

Clarissa waved her hand dismissively. “I always do, Ren.” She shut the door behind her and took a few steps down the hallway, not wanting everyone to hear her conversation with Nona. She answered her phone and immediately felt her body relax, releasing an unknown tension that she had been holding for who knows how long.

 _“Hey, Clarissa. How’re you doing?”_ Nona’s voice was calm and caring as usual, and the sheer comfort that the few words bring almost cause Clarissa to start crying, for the stress of the entire day was finally released. .

“Hi, Nona. I’ve been doing better, but what’s up?” Clarissa’s voice was quiet, and she thanks whatever divine being that rules the universe for causing her friend to call, because she needed this.

Clarissa could hear Nona shift on the other end of the call, most likely going to sit down. _“Well, that new arts center you guys are going to perform at in a few months? The owner happens to be the aunt of the dance studio’s owner, Abby. And since Abby knows me so well, she told her aunt all about Three Sides, and she asked me to extend an invite to you guys to come down and practice.”_

“Wait, wait, wait. Abby as in Tinder hook-up Abby? That Abby?” Clarissa asked, incredulous. Nona groaned, and Clarissa laughed, imagining her best friend’s flustered face. “Come on, fess up. You hooked up with the dance studio’s owner over Tinder and never told me.”

_“Ugh, Clarissa!”_

“I’m waiting…”

 _“Yes, that Abby! Gosh, anyways, did you hear the important part?”_ Clarissa knew that Nona was desperately trying to change the subject and she gave her friend mercy. It was something to discuss at a later date.

“Yeah. Abby’s aunt invited us to practice at her center for the arts.”

_“And you know what else?”_

“Hmm?”

 _“The Edwards Center for the Arts is a block away from my apartment. So, if you guys want, you can store your equipment in my apartment. Plus, you have a key to my place, so it’s not like you guys will be needing me around constantly to unlock the door. And it also gives me a great excuse to watch you guys practice.”_ Clarissa could practically hear the smile in her friend’s voice, and Clarissa’s own smile grew because of it.

“Well, I’ll make sure that nobody but you sneaks into our super secret practices.” Nona laughed, but her laugh quickly died off as she seemed to adopt a more serious tone.

 _“You never really answered my question about how you’re doing, Clarissa. What’s on your mind?”_ A part of Clarissa cursed Nona for being so in-tune with her. A blessing and a curse for having a best friend for years.

Clarissa sighed and started to run her fingers through her hair, playing with the ends of it. “You know I’m worried about Michael. You haven’t seen him, but, God, Nona, he looks bad. I just… I wish I could’ve done something. I wish I could do something, anything, for him.” She slid down against the wall she had been leaning against, bringing her knees up and resting her chin on them.

“And to make matters worse, I’m just… angry that this happened to him and I’m taking it out on Alex. I know she doesn’t deserve it but, fuck, Nona, it’s so easy to blame her. I think she blames herself too and that… it just fuels me, and I know it shouldn’t, but I don’t know what to do-” Clarissa’s voice cracked, starting to show her emotions, and in the back of her mind, she feels the tears roll down her cheeks.

 _“Clarissa, hey. Listen to me. It’s okay, alright? You couldn’t have done anything that night, and you shouldn’t blame Alex for what happened, but it’s normal for you to react this way. You know grief is a weird emotion.”_ Nona’s relaxed tone of voice brought a feeling of calm that washed over Clarissa, and, once again, she thanked the universe for having Nona call. _“You know what? Come by my place tonight after your whole band thing is over. We need to have a takeout and movie night, and we can talk then. Promise you’ll come over?”_

Clarissa nodded, unable to speak, before realizing that Nona needed a verbal confirmation. “Y-yeah. Of course. I’ll see you soon?”

_“You know it. And if you need to talk at any time during the band meeting, you know I’m available.”_

Clarissa gave a small laugh and wiped the last of tears from her eyes. “Thank you, Nona. And, before I go, Ren says hi. He’d have a fit if he knew I forgot to say it.” Nona laughs, telling Clarissa to tell Ren the same thing, and Clarissa said goodbye to her friend. She hung up the phone after Nona’s quick, ‘Bye’, but still sat against the wall, taking a few seconds to gather her emotions, and herself, before she reentered the apartment.


	2. Are You Listening

**Three Sides**

**Chapter 2 - Are You Listening?**

 

The Edwards Center for the Art was a rather large building, with wall to wall windows at its entrance hall and multiple sound proofing structures and techniques in play on its inside. The first time Nona saw the building completed, she had to stop and stare in awe. The sun was reflecting off of the glass and she could just barely hear some orchestra or band performing inside the entry hall. Standing outside of it now, surrounded by friends, she still felt that feeling of awe. If anything, now that she was up closer to it, the feeling was multiplied. 

 

But she knew, in the back of her head, that the rather dark history of that place could easily taint the building. 

 

She was drawn out of her thoughts when Clarissa nudged her, slight concern on her friend’s face Nona gave Clarissa a smile and returned her focus on the group. Currently, Ren was debating the ‘perfectly good fear of werewolves’ against Michael, who was stating that they were simply people who happened to turn into wolf or wolf creatures. Jonas was resting against one of their cars, smoking and laughing when he wasn’t taking a drag from the cigarette. Clarissa was standing next to Michael, running her hand through his hair, taking in the ‘argument’ and laughing at Ren’s ‘points’. Every so often, she would throw her two cents in, and it would either get Ren or Michael debating what she had just said. 

 

Soon, though, the two agreed to disagree, and the group turned towards small talk, be it reminiscing about high school or about their plans for the future. Currently, Jonas was staring at Nona, eyebrows furrowed, looking like he wanted to ask a question. 

 

“Jonas, if you keep staring at my best friend like that, I might just have to punch you,” Clarissa calmly said, staring intently at the man. 

 

Jonas looked towards Clarissa and started to sputter. “N-no, I wasn’t being creepy, I promise. I just... “ He looked back at Nona. “I don’t remember you, I was trying to place you. Plus, everyone just came like we all know each other but I don’t…” He trailed off, still trying to figure out where he could remember Nona from. 

 

Nona’s eyes widened in surprised, and she started to play with the hem of her sweater. “Oh, well. We all used to go to high school together. I didn’t talk much back then, if that helps. And I skipped a lot of school so… yeah.” 

 

Jonas frowned, rubbing his chin as he looked away. “Yeah, I guess. Everything from senior year is a blur to me…” His eyes lit up and he snapped his fingers, looking back at Nona. “Now I remember! Alex told me that she had a cr-”

 

Whatever he was about to say, however, was interrupted by a familiar voice calling out from across the parking lot, and everyone’s attention immediately turned to face the person. Jogging across the street was a woman who Nona instantly recognized as Alex.  _ She still has the blue hair _ , Nona thought fondly. Alex waved at the group, not paying attention as she sped across the parking lot, causing Michael to tell her to watch for cars. She safely made it to the group, and, panting, waved her hand dismissively at him.

 

“I’m fine, see? Nothing is wrong.” Alex was bent over, hand on her knees, as she struggled to catch her breath. 

 

Jonas laughed, smothering the remaining bit of his cigarette. “Didn’t you say you worked out?” Alex looked up at him, frown on her face. 

 

She pointed behind her towards her car, and then swung her hand around to direct it at Jonas. “You try running that distance after running down five flights of stairs just to get to your car, and  _ then _ we’ll talk.” Jonas laughed and held up his hands. Clarissa groaned, most likely in annoyance, and Ren grinned, starting to joke about how Alex wasn’t in shape anymore. 

 

“Okay, enough! Can we please just go inside? My feet are aching because of how long I’ve had to stand here because Alex was late leaving her job. Nona came here to give us a tour, and frankly, we should’ve been done by now.” She scowled at Alex, who’s smile disappeared the instant Clarissa started to speak. However, the anger that showed on her face vanished the instant Clarissa finished talking. 

 

Alex shifted so that she could see past Clarissa, and locked eyes with Nona. Her eyes widened and she started to grin. “Nona! I didn’t know you were here! I.. gosh, I barely recognized you. It’s been, what? Five years?” She frowned, suddenly, putting her hand under her chin. “I have the weirdest feeling that I’ve seen you around, though.” 

 

Nona smiled and rubbed the back of her head, looking away for a brief moment before bringing her gaze back up to Alex’s. “Yeah, more or less. I’ve only been in the city for like… 2 months now so…” She trailed off, not sure of what to say next. 

 

Alex’s grin grew, suddenly, and Nona couldn’t help but mentally compare her to an overexcited animal. “No, I know where! You’re one of the dancers for the Studio 2 Dance Studio, right? You guys post videos online and… oh my gosh, I can’t believe I never realized that it was you.” 

 

Nona blushed, once again playing with the hem of her sweater. “Oh, um. I didn’t know anyone watched those videos. Well… beside the other dancers.” 

 

“A coworker of mine at the radio station showed me one of the videos like… months ago, and I was hooked. You guys have some impressive choreography and dancing skills.” Nona’s blush darkened, slightly embarrassed. 

Ren put his arm around Nona, the sudden action causing the girl to jump. “Nona’s the top dancer at the school, isn’t that right Banona Bread?” He grinned, laughing when Nona groaned. 

 

“ _ Ren.  _ Stop, oh my god.”

 

“Banona bread?” Alex asked, a look of disbelief and humor on her face as she watched the two. 

 

“Yeah! Nona here has a love for the soft, delicious bread.” 

 

“No, it was like… one time. And I was drunk!”

 

“Things you say when you’re drunk are still truths, don’t deny your love.”

 

Clarissa smacked her face with her hand, running it down and groaning. “Okay! If we’re done, I’d like to get inside so we can do this tour. Right, Nona?” Nona looked at her best friend and gave her a look of thanks before turning towards the entrance of the building. 

 

The group made their way through the entry hall, admiring the sculptures and displays of art that local artists had made. Once they reached two large, oak doors, Nona turned around to face the group. She motioned to the doors behind her with her hands and started to recite the info that she had been given beforehand. “This is the Edwards Center for the Arts. It was built one year ago but wasn’t open for public use until 6 months ago. Previously, it was only used by the family of the owner, as well as a select group of artists.” Nona moved her hands and pointed at the art that the others had noticed walking in. 

 

“In the 1930s and 1940s, this piece of land had an orchestra hall. It held many recitals and performances until it burned down in 1943, while an orchestra was performing their dress rehearsal for their show the next day. 85 orchestra members died, as well as 12 members of the audience. Because of the tragic history of the land, once the building was bulldozed, nobody wanted to build on it. The Adler family wanted to change that history, and thus, the Edwards Center for the Arts was built and named after the late owner of the original orchestra hall.” 

 

Nona took a deep breath and focused in on the group, pleased that she had remembered everything in the email. “I know that was a lot, but… do you guys have any questions?”

 

The group, wordless, shook their heads and continued to follow Nona into the concert hall that was behind the oak doors. They all gasped when they took in the sheer size of the space, and Ren started to talk excitedly about how amazing the place must look when it was filled with people. Clarissa talked him out of his dreams of grandeur and made him focus back in on Nona, who was waiting patiently for them. 

 

“So, you guys are able to practice on that stage whenever you want so long as you clear it with the owner first. She’s been generous enough to give you guys most of the practice time, but, still make sure she’s okay with it.” 

 

Alex furrowed her brows, looking at Nona instead of the concert hall. “How were you able to do this for us? I thought this place and the dance studio were separate things.”

 

Nona, not prepared for the question, started to stumble over her words, slightly embarrassed. “Oh, well.. Y-you see I know the, uh, the owner’s niece. And her niece knew of this band and… she kind of told her aunt about you guys, and her aunt wanted you guys to practice here before the event.” Nona explained, rushing her words at the end. 

 

“Who would’ve guessed that a casual hook-up could lead to such a nice deal.” Clarissa explained, deadpan. She was still standing next to Michael but was casually glancing around the concert hall, not even looking in their direction. 

 

“ _ Clarissa! _ ” Nona’s voice was shrill, her cheeks red, eyes wide. 

 

Alex opened her mouth, looking like she was about to ask Nona a question before Michael started talking about the size of the concert hall, dragging her attention away from the girl. The two started to chat excitedly about it, and begin pointing at the various balconies in the hall. 

 

Nona, noticing their excitement, as well as Ren running through the rows of chairs, decided that it would be a perfect time to show them the rest of the concert hall. “I can take you guys up there to see what it looks like, if you want.” Alex turned to look at Nona, a wide smile on her face. 

 

Jonas gave a light laugh before walking closer to Nona. “Yeah, I think that would be best. And probably before Ren gets himself in trouble or breaks something.” Jonas seemed to be watching intently, either with the eyes of someone who was ready to control a hyperactive child or someone who wanted to join in. 

 

Nona giggled and called for Ren, who stopped immediately to jog over to the group. “Are you guys ready?” The group nodded, but Michael held up his hand. 

 

“I’m guessing there aren’t any ramps or elevators to get up there?” He asked, but his tone suggested that he already knew the answer before Nona said it. 

 

Nona’s smile dropped and she looked a bit embarrassed for her slight fumble. “Oh, yeah. There aren’t. I’m sorry, Michael.” 

 

He shrugged, a small smile on his face. “It’s okay, Nona. I can just stay dow-”

 

“ _ We _ can stay down here. I don’t mind staying with him.” Clarissa interrupted her boyfriend, giving Nona a thumbs up as she and Michael went over to a handicap spot to sit together. “Besides, I’ve been here in the practice rooms for the past week, since we talked. If I missed out on any information, just tell me when it’s just us.” Nona gave her friend a grateful smile before walking off with Alex, Jonas, and Ren. 

 

The three followed Nona up a set of winding stairs until approaching a thick, wooden door, which Nona opened to the ornate balcony that the group had spotted at from down below. Ren instantly dashed towards the edge, and started pointing out the lights and the pit near the stage. Jonas ran after him, pulling him back when he started to lean forward too far. 

 

Ren laughed at Jonas’s cries for Ren to stand back before he fell. Alex and Nona slowly approached the edge together, with Alex telling Ren to also backup. Down below, they could hear Clarissa and Mike telling the group to be careful. 

 

“Man, this is really high up. The acoustics in this place must be great!” Ren said, turning away from the railing and looking at the other three. “If we can get someone up here during practice tomorrow, then we might be able to figure out the volume we need to set out speakers at so we’re not too quiet.”

 

Jonas frowned and turned to face Ren. “I don’t think that will help. Isn’t it like… if you turn the volume up, everything will just so… I don’t know, garbled? Like, don’t we want to avoid that when performing?” 

 

Ren chuckled, holding his finger up, even though Jonas had finished speaking. “Uh huh, no. There’s a fine balance between killing the eardrums of the audience and making it so quiet that a mouse can’t hear it. Maybe it’s because you play drums, but it takes a delicate touch to figure this stuff out.” 

 

Jonas scoffed, crossing his arms and slightly leaning over Ren. The shorter man looked up with a look of defiance. “And what is that supposed to mean? That I don’t know my stuff? Or that I’m not ‘delicate’?”

 

“It just means you’re not made out to figure these kinds of things out. That, and you don’t need to have a light touch when banging on drums.”

 

Alex groaned, and Nona had to laugh at the near comical situation they were in. “Okay, guys, stop! We’ll figure it out during practice, okay?” She walked up to the two of them and pushed them apart. As she did so, she stopped, looking somewhere down below. 

 

“Alright, fine. But when I’m right…” Ren said in a sing-song voice, turning away from Jonas and walking back towards Nona. 

 

Jonas gave a heavy sigh and looked down at Alex. Noticing her frozen state, he put his hand on her shoulder and tried to get her to snap back to the present. “Alex? Alex, hey, what’s wrong?” 

 

She looked up to him, brows furrowed, and then looked back down to where she had been staring before. “N-nothing. I just… thought there was someone behind Clarissa.” Jonas, shocked, looked over Alex and started searching for anyone in the crowd. Nona and Ren, having heard this, walked over, both confused. 

 

“There… shouldn’t be anyone in the concert hall right now. Are you sure you saw someone?” Nona immediately looked down at her best friend, and was relieved to see that nobody was there. “And there’s no one there, Alex. Are you okay?”

 

Ren cocked his head, thinking. “Are you sure it wasn’t from you inhaling anything at work? You did say that a coworker was… well, like me, in the studio.” Alex shrugged, running her hands through her hair. 

 

“Yeah, I guess it could be that. Or I’m just so tired that I’m seeing things.” Alex flashed everyone a smile and a thumbs up. “I’d honestly be more worried if there was actually somewhere there so.. I’m good.” 

 

Jonas, still looking rather concerned, took his hand off of her shoulder and unconsciously adjusted his beanie. “Okay… If you say so.” The group, wordlessly, started to walk back towards the exit, and went down the stairs. When they walked into the main part of the concert hall, their faces showing their emotions, instantly drew the attention of Michael. 

 

He spun in the wheelchair to face the group, and locked eyes with Alex. “What’s wrong? Are you okay?” Alex gave her older brother a smile a small shrug. 

 

“Just tired, that’s all. Nothing to worry about.” 

 

Jonas, standing behind Alex, looked like he wanted to say something, but Ren interrupts before the man can get a word in. 

 

“Well, this is the first time since high school since we’re all together, so I say we celebrate this shit by going to this diner that Alex and I found. Plus, they have great milkshakes and they are  _ the best _ to dip your fries in.” He put his arms over Alex and Nona’s shoulder, bringing them closer to him and flashing everyone a grin. “What do you guys say?”

 

Clarissa sighed and got up from her seat. “Sure. I don’t have anything else planned for the day. I might as well.” 

 

“That’s the spirit, Clarissa!” Ren cheered, and Clarissa rolled her eyes, but Nona could see that she was trying to hide a smile. 

 

With that, the group left the center for the arts and headed towards the diner, every one of them eager to get there and catch up with their friends. 

\------

The next day, Ren arrived at the center for the arts, practically filled with excitement as it sunk in that he, and his band, would be performing her, for crowds of people, in just a few months. He couldn’t stop the smile on his face as he entered the building. And, after a quick sign-in at the office that Nona told him about, he was ready to take another look at the concert hall and then go grab his things. 

 

However, when he entered the concert hall, he felt a shiver run down his spine, and his smile dropped, suddenly feeling… out of place in the large hall. It felt, in some strange way, like he was intruding, as if he wasn’t welcomed in the concert hall. It was a feeling that was completely opposite to how he felt only a day before, and in the back of his head, he knew that he should be concerned about the feeling. But, in the distance, he could hear someone practicing classical music, and focused on the sound instead. It was a great distraction, but he was disappointed when the music stopped the instant he left the concert hall. 

 

Still feeling uneasy, Ren ran his hands through his hair and took a few calming breaths. After a few seconds of running through calming techniques that he had learned from his sister, his nerves weren’t as rattled, and he simply chalked the weird vibes as stress. He pushed open the doors and started to leave the building, prepared to grab his equipment from his car.

 

“Reginald!” 

 

The name rang out in the mostly empty building, and it caused Ren to pause, keeping the door open as he turned around to try and find which person had called his name. Of the few people milling about in the entrance area, none were looking in his direction, or paying him any mind. Ren frowned and continued to walk out, letting the door swing shut behind him. With a heavy sigh, Ren unlocked his car and started to take out his equipment, his mind still questioning who called his name. 

 

The activity of taking out his equipment and checking to make sure everything was intact calmed him, the repetitive motions and the constant feel of cases in his hands were familiar and welcome. He didn’t know how much time had passed when the familiar truck and motorcycle pulled up, each vehicle parking on either side of him. Ren, having zoned out, finally looked up when Clarissa called his name. Or, at least, he thought she did, as her helmet was still on her head, muffling her words. She got off the bike and took the helmet off, smoothing her hair and careful not to knock her guitar and case off of her back. It was an impressive sight that Ren never got used to.

 

The sounds of doors opening and closing made Ren then look over to watch Alex and Jonas wave at him, walking up to him. Alex and Ren quickly hugged in greeting, but Alex held onto Ren for a few seconds more, staring at him when he pulled back. 

 

“Hey, Ren. Are you okay? You look… off.” Alex asked, obviously concerned. Ren gave a small laugh, shrugging. He didn’t quite know how to explain everything to Alex and gave her a look that just simply said  _ “We’ll talk later” _ .

 

Alex nodded and quickly hugged Ren again before letting go. Clarissa had already approached them and looked bored, but Ren, looking at Clarissa, could tell that she was biting her tongue not to say anything at Alex. Ren gave her a thankful smile before turning to Jonas. 

 

Jonas was staring at Ren, but was trying, and failing, to act like he wasn’t watching every movement he made. When Ren turned to face him, he jumped in surprised and started to clear his throat, his cheeks turning pink. Ren smirked and picked up a case, handing it out to Jonas, who seemed confused at the sudden action. 

 

“Want to take this into the concert hall for me? I’m sure you can handle it.” Ren’s eyes widened slightly in surprise(and delight) as Jonas’s blush grew darker and he silently grabbed the case, walking away without another word. 

 

Clarissa laughed behind Ren, and the man spun to face her. “Wow. That was…” Her smirk matched Ren’s, but her eyes held a glint of mischief in them. “Who would’ve guessed that he argues with you because he has a crush on you?” 

 

Ren’s smirk dropped and he could feel his face heat up, and quickly shook his hands. “Oh no. No, that’s not it and you know it, Clarissa.” The sheer thought of that situation caused Ren to immediately deny it. Those feelings were not to be touched, and Ren knew it. “What happened between us years ago isn’t… It’s not a thing anymore, Clarissa.” 

 

Clarissa’s smirk grew into a smile and she seemed absolutely delightful. “Oh my god. You still have feelings for him, don’t you? My oh my.” Clarissa started laughing when Ren sputtered, trying to deny it. 

 

“Who does who have feelings for?” Alex popped her head out from around Ren’s car, slowly bringing her equipment towards the building. She had a genuine smile on her face, and it was obvious that she was happy to not be arguing with Clarissa for once. 

 

Clarissa chuckled and leaned against Ren’s car. “Well, Ren here has a crush on our sweet-”

 

“No one! I don’t have a crush on anyone! Clarissa is wrong. Totally wrong.” Ren yelled out, and Alex locked eyes with Clarissa. They stared at each other for a few moments, having an unspoken conversation before Alex looked back at Ren. 

 

She shrugged, lifting her things up over the curb and rolling her shoulders. “Okay, if you say so.” She continued to bring her things towards the door and soon disappeared inside. Ren breathed a sigh of relief and ran his hands down his face. 

 

“Not cool, Clarissa. Not cool.” Clarissa only laughed in response and grabbed a case, hauling it inside. 

 

“You’ll thank me later, Ren!” Clarissa exclaimed in a sing-song voice and walked away without another word. 

 

Ren groaned and closed his car, locking it. A part of him knew that Clarissa, in some way, meant well, but this way wasn’t the right way to ‘mean well’. He busied himself again by taking the things out of the back of Alex’s truck, which was still packed full with the drum kit cases. When the doors to the center of the arts opened again, he looked up and accidentally locked eyes with Jonas. The two coughed awkwardly and turned back to what they were doing, with Jonas carrying another piece of equipment inside and Ren silently placing the drum kit cases on the ground. 

 

In the next five minutes that it took the four of them to move everything inside, Ren was thankful that nothing else happened between him and Jonas. And, while he was nervous to step inside the concert hall again, he was relieved that none of the weirdness that he felt earlier was present. So, in his mind, the past five minutes had been pretty decent. 

 

Once everything was placed on stage, each band member took to setting up their respective things, with Ren also making sure that the keyboard and amps for the guitar and bass were all set up into the speaker system of the concert hall. He hoped that, with a few solid minutes of adjusting the volume and quality of each mic or instrument, they could get a really good balance of sounds. And, with the new microphone that he got-

 

“Reginald.”

 

Ren froze, instantly snapping out of his thoughts and tensing up. He  _ had _ to be imagining things, that was the only explanation. There was no way that-

 

“Ren!” Clarissa’s voice makes him look up, and she has her guitar in hand, frowning at him. “Jesus, that was like the third time I had to call your name.” Ren felt relieved that it was only Clarissa calling his name and relaxed, flashing Clarissa a smile. “What do you want to do with practice?”

 

Ren clapped his hands together and looked around at his other bandmates, who were standing, or sitting, in Jonas’s case, in their respective spots, all ready to play. 

 

“How about we just practice the first song? It’s easy and it’ll be rather quick, and then we can work on the volume.” The other three nodded along and Clarissa cleared her throat, getting ready to sing. 

 

\----

After having a decent practice and a ten minute break, Ren jumped up from his seat at the edge of the stage. Alex, having been sitting against a row of chairs, looked up at him with curiosity in her eyes. “Before we all get comfortable, what about we try testing the volume of our stuff?” 

 

Alex smiled in agreement and got up, nudging Jonas, who was currently laying on the floor next to her, with her feet. He groaned, getting up and sluggishly returning to the stage with Alex. Clarissa, however, was still standing, still practicing on her guitar, playing through one of the songs. When Jonas got on stage, she stopped and put her guitar down, having heard what Ren had said. She jumped off of the stage and started walking up the aisle of seats, much to the confusion of her bandmates.

 

“Uh, Clarissa, where are you going?” Alex asked the question everyone was thinking, and Clarissa turned around as she walked. 

 

Clarissa pointed up above her, to where one of the few balconies were. “I’m going up there so we can check the sound, Princess. And, before you disagree, I’m the one who has been here every day for the past week. I know this place better than any of you three right now, so it’s only reasonable that I’m the one to go up there.” 

 

Alex frowned and crossed her arms, shaking her head. “That doesn’t make any sense! We need you to play your guitar and sing into the mic!”

 

Clarissa laughed, turning back around. “No you don’t. I’m sure you’re mediocre enough to play at least one note on the guitar, Alex. You’re thin excuses for keeping me up there are just that: thin.” She paused at the doors leading up to the steps to the balcony level. “You just let me know when you’re ready to go.” 

 

Alex cried out in annoyance, throwing her arms up into the air. “We’ll be sure to do just that, Clarissa.” Clarissa snorted, pushing the doors open and disappearing behind them. Alex complained under her breath, picking up her bass and playing a few notes to make sure it was in tune before she took a deep breath and looked at the other two. Jonas gave her a thumbs up and Ren just gave Alex a look of sympathy before making sure his keyboard was turned on. 

 

By the time they were all good, Clarissa was already up top on the balcony. Ren gave Clarissa a thumbs up and she nodded. Alex was the first to play, and she did so, going through basic chords. Besides being yelled at for being out of tune by Clarissa, Alex’s volume was fine, and she carefully placed her bass down and started to make sure Clarissa’s guitar was in tune. 

 

Meanwhile, Jonas was making sure the mic above his drumset was stationary and began to play each one of his drums. Clarissa just gave him a thumbs up, which he returned, and looked back in Alex’s direction, who was ready to play. The bass guitarist again, played a few chords, and even sang a few lyrics from their first song. Clarissa cut her off, simply saying that the guitar needed to be turned down while the mic needed to be turned up. Alex just sighed and went to go adjust the volume. She once again tried both the microphone and guitar, but Clarissa just told her that she was fine and to stop playing. Alex groaned and put the guitar down, crossing her arms and standing near Jonas as they waited for Ren to play. 

 

Clarissa gave a nod that she was ready, and Ren took a deep breath, starting to play. He began to get lost into what he was playing, an improvisational tune, but soon, he could hear voices starting to whisper in the back of his mind. They kept whispering his name and he closed his eyes tight, playing faster and faster, hoping to drown them out. He didn’t want this, he didn’t need this. He just-

 

“Ren!” Clarissa’s voice pierced whatever state he was in, and he opened his eyes, shocked. Everyone was staring at him, and Clarissa had her hands cupped around her mouth, like she had just been yelling multiple times. 

 

“What?” Ren spoke, barely above a whisper.

 

Alex walked up and put her hand on Ren’s shoulder. “You… zoned out when playing man, and started to just mumble to yourself. Are you okay?” 

 

Ren looked at Alex’s face and tried, desperately, to try and find his voice, but the feeling he had felt earlier washed over him like a wave. It was like he was drowning in a sea of… something, and he couldn’t save himself. In the back of his head, he registered that Alex was shouting something at Clarissa, and soon, Clarissa was back on stage, looking at him. There was a slight commotion between the bandmates, but Ren couldn’t focus long enough to determine what was happening. 

 

In an instant, it felt like he was sitting on the curb outside of the building, with a bottle of water at his feet. The moment he realized he was sitting on the curb, his mind seemed to snap back, and he felt like he could clearly see. He was sitting on the curb next to his car, and Jonas, Alex, and Clarissa were busy packing things away. Alex was the first to notice that Ren was out of whatever funk he was in and sat down next to him, rubbing his back. He leaned his head against his best friend’s shoulder and just focused on taking deep breaths. 

 

Once Clarissa and Jonas finished packing the car, the two stood in front of Alex and Ren. Jonas had his hands shoved in his pockets and Clarissa looked completely awkward, not sure of what to do. Jonas adjusted his beanie before breaking the silence. 

 

“Ren, did you smoke anything before practice? Because… I’m happy you’re okay but that was… a freak out.” Jonas let out a shaky laugh, unsure of what to do. 

 

Ren frowned, looking down. “No, I didn’t smoke. I don’t do anything before practice. Never. I don’t… know what happened there. But I’m ready to leave and forget about it.” He picked his head up from Alex’s shoulder and stood up, taking his keys out.

 

Jonas held his hands up, obviously not trying to start anything. “I didn’t mean it that way. I just was trying to find out what happened.” Ren opened his mouth to say something but stopped, turning away and walking towards the drivers side of his car. 

 

“I’m going back to my apartment, I want to forget all this and just…” Ren sighed, running his hands through his hair. “Alex, I’ll call you later, okay?” With a nod as an answer, Ren looked at Clarissa. “I was thinking of visiting Nona later today, would you want to come?” He gave her a weak smile when she looked at him, surprised. 

 

“Oh. No. I was actually going to stay here and practice. But… thank you, Ren. Tell her that I said hi.” Clarissa’s tone was thankful, and Ren gave a small nod before entering the car. 

 

He sighed and put his keys into the ignition, turning up the radio and getting lost in the music. Hopefully, after a good nap and some time spent hanging out with Nona would let him forget everything that had happened. 

 

At least he hoped. 

\----

  
  
  
  


Clarissa entered the familiar practice room, flicking on the lights and closing the door behind her. She unzipped her guitar backpack case and took it out, along with some sheet music. After getting settled, she placed her fingers on the strings and started to play. 

 

Suddenly, though, her fingers seized, and she couldn’t move them, try as she might. She started to freak out, trying, with all her might, to just move her fingers. A voice…rather, a choir of voices, rang out in her mind, and she truly felt fear. 

 

_ “We. Can. Help. You. Can. Help. Us.” _


	3. Three's a Company, Ninety Seven's a Crowd

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the somewhat late release of this chapter. I recently returned to college after a winter break and I didn't have time to really sit down and work on this. Also, sorry about how short this chapter is. Thank you for your patience!

**Chapter 3 - Three’s a company, ninety-seven’s a crowd**

 

Clarissa has always hated classical music. She didn’t know if the hate stemmed from the violin lessons she took as a kid or because of constantly hearing it as she grew up. Her teacher would always yell at her for something she inevitably did wrong, and her father would always say that the true music of the world were the classics, not the things that the ‘riff-raffs’ played. Perhaps the reason that she loathed the genre stemmed from her deep hatred towards her father and teacher. She could still hear her teacher, telling her to fix her posture, to read the music correctly, to  _ feel _ the music instead of playing it. 

 

Her teacher was circling around Clarissa as the young girl maintained her playing position in the chair. The teacher swatted at her back with a ruler, and Clarissa cried out, both in pain and surprise. She straightened her back and the teacher tutted at her, swatting at her left arm. As she made her way to stand in front of Clarissa, the old woman’s pungent perfume was all that she could smell, causing her to cough and lose her ‘perfect’ posture. Her teacher scoffed and began to circle again.

 

“Clarissa, you must keep-” The voice of her old violin teacher melted away to the disembodied voices that occupied the concert hall, the gravelly voice of the old woman transforming into a cacophony of souls telling her what to do.

 

“ _ Back straight. Chest out. Do not. Miss notes. _ ” 

 

The correction is made immediately, Clarissa focusing on the sheet music in front of her. Had this been a week ago, she might have called herself crazy for listening to the voice a dead orchestra, but they were… persuasive with their offer, and Clarissa couldn’t bear to refuse it. Her mind began to drift as she played, falling into comfort over the phrase of music that she had practiced many times before as well as thinking about what the ghost had told her. 

 

The speaker that her guitar was hooked up to emitted an ear piercing screech and she stopped playing to cover her ears, glaring at the empty space of the concert hall. Her vision flickered for a moment, and she saw a figure glaring at her next to the speaker. 

 

“ _ Focus. Girl _ .” 

 

Clarissa gave a nod in acknowledgement and puts her hands back on her guitar, starting to play from the beginning. As she stared at the sheet music, she could feel the back of her head tingle, and soon she felt like she was fighting between focusing on the present and a distant memory. The more Clarissa played, however, the more her focus was directed to the memory, and soon the memory was at the center of her attention. 

 

The concert hall dissolved and shifted into the backstage of an old auditorium, one that belonged to her old elementary school. Her guitar was gone, replaced with the familiar feel of her old violin, though it seemed almost alien in her hands now. A hand was placed on her shoulder and Clarissa jumped in surprise, looking up to the person who had just touched her. She almost cried at the sight of the person, relief washing over her. 

 

Standing to her right, wearing a fine dress and a heartwarming smile, was her older sister, Adelaide. Clarissa could feel tears start to form in the corners of her eyes and Adelaide- _ Addie _ , Clarissa lovingly remembered- instantly knelt down, concern on her face, and placed a hand on her younger sister’s cheek. She used her thumb to gently wipe the tears away and Clarissa found herself leaning into the familiar, yet forgotten, feeling of comfort at the gesture. 

 

“Clari, what’s wrong?” Addie’s voice, soft and warm, filled her ears and Clarissa’s heart breaks, starting to cry in earnest. Her older sister gave a hum of sympathy and pulled Clarissa into a hug, careful not to break her violin. She rubbed her younger sister’s back, trying to quiet her down. “Hey, hey. It’s okay. I’m here.” Her words soon calmed Clarissa and the younger sister pulled back, rubbing her nose with the back of her free hand. “Are you going to tell me what’s wrong?” 

 

Clarissa nodded and began to open her mouth to speak, though the words she wanted to say became something else entirely, for she heard herself say: “I’m nervous to play in front of them.” Her older sister made a sound of realization and comfortingly ran her hand through Clarissa’s hair. “What if Father doesn’t enjoy what I play?” 

 

“Ah.” Clarissa frowned at the noise and Addie gave her another sympathetic smile. “You’re afraid of messing up in front of Father, not the crowd.” The younger sister looked away, embarrassed at the truth and just nodded at her older sister. Addie grabbed Clarissa’s free hand and rubbed the back of it with her thumb. The familiar motion made Clarissa look back at her sister, who was smiling patiently at her. 

 

“Well, I can say that everyone will be impressed with you. You’ve learned so much, Clari. Father will be delighted to hear you tonight.” Clarissa smiled at the words, feeling her confidence grow. If Addie says that she’ll make their Father proud, then she will. Addie was never wrong. “But, if you do get nervous, then you can always look at me. I’ll be sitting with Mother and Father. You know where we are, right?” Clarissa nodded, already knowing where to find them. “Good. I have to go now, Clari, but just keep your eye on me.” Addie kissed Clarissa on the cheek and stood up. “I love you, and I’ll always be there for you, remember that.” 

 

“I love you too, Addie.” Her older sister gave a thumbs up and dashed out from backstage, most likely returning to her seat. Clarissa could hear the performance of the child before her come to an end only seconds later and she took a deep breath, wiping her hands on her dress. Her name was called and she steeled herself for the crowd that she was going to face. 

 

The lights warmed her skin as she walked on stage, taking in the polite applause from the audience. Clarissa took a seat in the lone chair on stage and started to make sure that her posture was correct while her eyes scanned the crowds. If it wasn’t for the subtle wave that Addie was doing, she was sure she would’ve missed where her sister was sitting entirely. Taking another deep breath, Clarissa began to play. The music, although having practiced it for months, was eerily familiar, and she soon found herself playing the same notes on her guitar, the auditorium gone and the concert hall in its place. 

 

The audience, though… they were still there. The indistinguishable and long forgotten faces of the people at her recital were gone, and in their place were tens of shadowy figures. Their bodies were hard to make out, and if it wasn’t for the white eyes, Clarissa would have thought that the lights over the seating was turned off. 

 

In the back of her mind, knew that she shouldn’t react so casually to the sight. That something was very,  _ very _ wrong. She could feel herself falter, staring at the abyssal crowd, but movement in the corner of her vision made her look over and her worries melted. There, in the crowd, like she promised, was Addie. She was smiling at the guitarist, full of pride and joy. Clarissa felt herself grin at her older sister, practically beaming and filled with happiness. 

 

The smile on Addie’s face disappeared moments later, and Clarissa watches, in horror, as Addie herself seems to pulsate, shifting between the person Clarissa is looking at and the all too familiar sight of her older sister donned in a hospital gown. She can feel her stomach drop as, once again, the concert hall is gone, this time replaced by a hospital room. Her hands are gripping Addie’s, holding on tight to her sister. 

 

The rhythmic beeps coming from the heart monitor ground her in the memory, but she doesn’t dare look up. Clarissa knows what she’ll see if she does. Her sister, once seemingly immortal, bedridden with a sallow face and dull eyes. She doesn’t want to ruin the memory of the lively girl that her sister is. That her sister  _ was _ . But Addie always thought in the opposite direction, and she squeezed her younger sister’s hand. 

 

Clarissa looked up, tears running down her face, as Addie gave her a loving smile. Somehow, even burdened by pain and illness, she was still able to show love and joy. “Clari, don’t be sad. You know that I’ll always be there for you. No matter what.” The words only make Clarissa cry harder, practically launching herself at her sister to give her one final hug. 

 

_ I’m doing this for you, Addie. _

 

The concert hall is back and Clarissa’s concern is gone, replaced with determination. Determination to please the spirits. Determination to finish the song. Determination to see her sister again. The sudden wave of emotion allowed her to finish the first part of the song strong, and she could hear the voices, murmuring, talking about her. With a blink, the ‘audience’ is gone, and she let out a sigh, relieved to have finished. 

 

A singular voice spoke out over the murmurs of the others, much calmer than before. 

 

“ _ Practice more. Need to get better. For us. For you. Do not forget. The deal. Sweet Adelaide for our. Freedom. _ ” 

 

“I remember. And I will.” Clarissa could feel the spirits almost disappear, becoming something like a light pressure on her temples, and she took that as a sign to begin to pack her belongings up. As she did so, the door to the concert hall opened, and Clarissa looked up, watching an old woman walk in. The two gave a polite nod at the other and in a few seconds the guitarist was done and slipped her guitar case over her back. She hopped off the stage, landing gracefully on the floor below. 

 

The older woman, who Clarissa recognized as Maggie, the owner, smiled at Clarissa as the young woman walked by. Clarissa started to return the smile but as she passed, the ghosts began to scream about the old woman and the guitarist put her hand on her head in pain, walking faster to get away from Maggie. Their voices grew quieter the farther away she got, but the searing pressure in her head did not fade, causing her to have to sit outside on the curb. She cradled her head in her hands and prayed that she could get this done, and soon.

 

\--------

Alex shut her truck door behind her, staring up at the somewhat bland building that belonged to Studio 2. She figured that for a place that was easily the top dance studio in the city, it would stand out more among the apartments and restaurants that dotted the streets. The entire building seemed like it was just made out of concrete and glass, and if it wasn’t for the wooden floorboards that could be seen inside, Alex would’ve have guessed that it really was. 

 

But she wasn’t here to judge architecture, and decided to stop stalling from doing what she came there for. Swallowing a slight lump in her throat, she entered the building, careful not to let the door slam shut behind her. The lobby area of the dance studio was rather eccentric, with modern art sculptures dotting the halls and exquisite paintings lining the walls, the light from outside coming in to accentuate every detail of the works of art. 

 

Besides the decorations, the area was fairly empty, with only a few people passing by or leaving the building. Figuring that nobody was going to pay her too much mind, Alex walked down the one hall in front of her, relieved when it led to a staircase and a small building map. Upon closer inspection of the map, she found that the lower floor of the building consisted of office spaces for the owners of the dance studio, as well as other business focused spaces. The second floor housed the dance rooms themselves, and Alex headed up the stairs, determined to find who she was looking for. 

 

The top floor was similarly decorated like the floor below, with various art pieces and paintings, but this time there were multiple rooms with glass doors that faced a central area where benches were. There was a slight hum of music coming from some of the rooms, but nothing noticeable could be heard. Alex walked towards the center, glancing into each room as she walked. The sight of a familiar figure, short, black hair moving with her body, instantly caught her attention, and Alex paused in front of the glass door, simply watching.

 

Nona moved with unbelievable grace, and, although Alex couldn’t hear the music clearly, she could guess that the dancer was in sync with it. Her loose shirt flowed with her, the motions causing the shirt to fly up, showing a toned stomach that caused her observer to swallow and cough at the sight. Perhaps it was the coughing or the sudden motion that Nona saw in the mirror of the room, but Nona turned around to look at Alex, slight confusion on her face until she realized who it was, and motioned for her to enter.

 

Embarrassed about being caught, Alex sheepishly entered the room, taking in the wall high mirrors and the small sounds system that Nona had set up. It was humble, only a single speaker that was connected to, what could only be assumed as, Nona’s phone. There was also a bag leaning against the speaker with a water bottle next to it, the water inside moving just a little bit as the speaker continued to play music. Nona walked in front of her belongings, bending down to grab something, and Alex looked away, not wanting to stare. 

 

The room grew silent as the music was turned off and Alex shifted her weight from one foot to the other, not sure of what to do. In the corner of her eye, she saw Nona stand up from her bag, water bottle in hand, and she looked back in Nona’s direction. She gave Alex a shy smile and walked up to her, the two a few feet apart. 

 

“What’s up, Alex? Is something wrong?” A part of Alex hated that Nona’s first thought that the reason why she was in the dance studio was because something went wrong. Another part of her understood the logic, for Alex had never stopped by before, so a simple visit might have seemed unusual to her. 

 

Alex shook her head, flashing Nona a grin. “No, nothing’s wrong. Everyone’s okay.” She rubbed the back of her head, suddenly nervous. 

 

Nona’s smile turned into a frown, her brows furrowed most likely in confusion. “Oh. Well, um. Why are you here? If you don’t mind me asking.”

 

“Well, I had the day off from the radio station and I wanted to spend some time in the city. Plus, ever since I realized you were one of the people here last week, I wanted to see you-” Alex’s cheeks grew hot as Nona began to smile, an unknown light in her eyes as Alex spoke. But she was too afraid of the unknown if she let that sentence be all that was spoken, and hastily tried to correct herself. “-To see your dancing techniques in person.” Her voice faltered at the end of the phrase, and couldn’t help but wince as she noticed Nona’s smile falter, ever so slightly, when she ‘corrected’ herself. 

 

After Alex stopped talking, Nona began to play with the bottom of her own shirt, biting on her bottom lip as she looked away from the other woman, as if she was contemplating something. With a hum, she moved to place her water bottle down and started to scroll through her phone before selecting something. A different song than before, Alex noted, and curiously watched as Nona walked towards Alex again, smiling. “You want me to show you some things?” 

 

Alex nodded, reciprocating Nona’s smile. “Of course.” The other woman’s smile grew into a grin and she held her hand out towards Alex, motioning towards it with her head. “What… are you doing?” 

 

“You’re in my place, Alex. If you’re going to be here, you need to learn the basics.” There was a confidence in Nona’s voice that Alex hadn’t heard before, and she would’ve mulled over it more had it not been for the sudden realization that she would have to show her atrocious dance moves to her old high school crush. 

 

Alex frantically waved her hands, taking one step back. “Oh no, that’s okay. I ca-I can’t dance.” Sudden memories of falling and ripping dresses at formal and school dances flashed through Alex’s mind, steeling her resolve on the matter. 

 

Nona laughed, the sound causing Alex to falter. It sounded like wind chimes, melodic and high pitched, but not enough to cause the sound to be distasteful. Nona took a step towards her, extending her hand, the two barely apart from each other now. The sudden lack of space in between them caused Alex to swallow, her heartbeat pounding in her ears. “In high school, you always told me that anyone can play an instrument. I’m telling you that anyone can dance.” Nona slowly moved her hand closer, starting to lace their fingers together. 

 

Alex was still nervous, worried about making a fool of herself as well as whatever was currently happening between her and Nona. She had never seen the woman act this way, always sure that she was the quiet, shy person. It seemed that her attitude completely changed when she was in a place she was comfortable in, and a part of Alex berated herself for thinking that she could get away scot free without dancing,  _ in a dance studio _ .  However, if memory served correct, Alex knew that she could trust Nona, and she made up her mind, moving the rest of the distance with her hand. 

 

The taller woman let Nona lead her into the middle of the room, letting go of her hand and facing the mirror with Alex doing the same. Nona smiled up at her and started to explain what she was going to show her, and slowly began to move like she described. Alex tried to follow by example, but her movements were too jerky and was clearly over thinking what she was doing. It only took a few more minutes of this for Nona to stop Alex with a gentle hand on her arm. 

 

She moved behind Alex, hands on the woman’s arms, and began to guide her. “It’s like this. You need to keep your body relaxed, let yourself feel the music.” The taller woman does as she instructs, but her arm muscles tense up and suddenly she can feel Nona’s grip on her tighten, the shorter woman coughing behind Alex. 

 

Concerned, she tried to look behind her, only catching a glimpse of a smile and red cheeks before Nona started to move her arms again, making her look forward again. When she felt Nona press herself against her back, Alex’s face great heated, blushing at the contact. In that moment, Alex instantly decided that she would continue to let Nona teach her, if only to let this contact last for as long as she could. And she could also pick up some tips along the way, she figured. 

 

That is, until her arms started to grow sore, not used to the activity, and she voiced her concern to Nona, who perfectly understood her pain. The shorter woman let go, stepping back, her cheeks somewhat pink as she went to turn the music off. “You were good, Alex. I’m impressed.” 

 

The aforementioned woman laughed in delight, stretching her arms out as she watched Nona collect her things. “I couldn’t have done it without a great teacher.” The compliment threw Nona off guard, as she paused for a few seconds before continuing with her task. “Thank you.”

 

“I should be thanking you, instead,” Nona said, voice somewhat muffled as she was facing away from Alex. 

 

“Thanking me for what?”

 

“For listening. And letting me teach you.” Nona turned to face Alex, a small smile on her face. She started to roll the speaker into the corner and Alex rushed over, helping her. 

 

Alex put her hands in her pockets, still watching Nona. “Why don’t you let me repay you? For the… dance stuff. It’s the least I can do, since I probably messed up your schedule.” Nona threw her bag over her shoulder and tilted her head in confusion at Alex. 

 

“Repay me with what? Alex, we’re friends, it was the least I could do. Besides, you probably were going to get bored of just watching me do a routine over and over again.” 

 

“No, come on. I’ll treat you to lunch. Plus, we can catch up with each other.” Nona’s smile dropped, and she looked hesitant to accept. “It’ll be like old times. Come on, you know you want to,” Alex almost pleaded with her, giving her a wide smile.

 

Nona snorted in laughter at Alex’s expression and gave an exaggerated sigh. “Okay, I’ll go. But only if you let me pick where we go.” Alex’s face lit up, a genuine grin now on her face. Without a second thought, she grabbed Nona’s hand and ran out of the room, the shorter woman crying out in surprise as she did so. Her scream caused a few people to look up in surprise and the two couldn’t help laugh at the situation, still running, together, down and outside of the building. 

 

It was moments like these that two understood why they had a crush on the other in high school, so many years ago. It wasn’t hard to see why, and the two silently contemplated these thoughts on the ride to the restaurant that Nona chose. 

\------

If there was one thing that Jonas hated the most about his major, it had to be the amount of papers that he had to write. With notes and printed out papers strewn about the couch and coffee table, it seemed like Jonas had no sense of organization, picking up one thing for a second and then tossing it aside a moment later. However, the man was rather organized with his thoughts, having made solid progress on this essay since he had started it three hours ago. But the mind could only take so much, and Jonas knew that it was time for a break. Stretching, he ran a hand through his hair and repositioned his glasses to make sure they didn’t fall from his face. 

 

He picked his laptop off of his lap and gently placed it on the coffee table, getting up so he could both stretch his legs out and grab a quick snack. Just as he was about to unwrap a Clif Bar, someone started knocking on the apartment door. Jonas paused, waiting to hear the sound of a key turning the lock, but when no such sound occurred, he grew concerned. He wasn’t expecting anyone at the apartment, and Alex was out, and he began to approach the door. The knocking started again, this time a bit louder, and Jonas opened the door, expecting a neighbor. 

 

The sight of a familiar keyboardist, however, was not what he was expecting. Instead of greeting Jonas with a joke, Ren was busy staring at him, cheeks colored pink. Jonas, realizing that he was dressed in pajama bottoms and a ratty t-shirt, suddenly grew self conscious of his appearance and cleared his throat. “Can I help you, Ren?”

 

The man looked up at Jonas, locking eyes with him. “You… wear glasses.” He blushed, subconsciously touching the frames of them, glancing away from Ren. 

 

“Yeah... Um, so, Alex isn’t here, she’s out right now-” Ren, having seemingly collected himself, slipped past Jonas and he walked into the apartment. He groaned in annoyance and shut the door behind him, turning to face the Ren. 

 

The man dismissively waved at Jonas, peering over the couch and reading the papers on the cushions. Jonas hurried over and started to pick up his notes and placing them on the coffee table, not wanting to let his work be read. 

 

“It’s fine, I just stopped by to grab something that Alex borrowed,” Ren said as he walked towards Alex’s room, opening the door and closing it behind him. Sighing in relief, Jonas ran his hand through his hair and sat down to continue working on his essay. In what seemed like only a few minutes, Ren was out of the room, empty handed. At Jonas’s raise eyebrow, the man began to speak. “It wasn’t in there but I figured that I might just stay and wait for Alex to come back.”

 

“Okay… There’s not much you can do though.” Jonas kept his eyes glued to his screen, typing away. He grunted when Ren jumped onto the couch, the cushions shifting and the springs below creaking in protest. He was thankful that the other man didn’t strike up a conversation with him, respecting the fact that he had to work. But, eventually, he could feel the couch shake ever so slightly as Ren bounced his legs up and down in boredom. Jonas sighed and closed his laptop, shifting papers on the coffee table so he could grab the remote and tossed it to his friend, the man catching it and eagerly turning it on to flip through a channel. 

 

“You can pick whatever you want. I can’t work on my paper anymore so… we might as well just watch some TV as we wait for Alex,” Jonas said, shifting so that he could get comfortable on the couch, stretching out and putting his hands behind his head. He raised his eyebrow at Ren when the man stopping flipping channels at a competitive cooking show. He seemed completely engaged in it, grinning at the tension shown on screen and hearing the cooks talk about what they were going to do with the secret ingredients. 

 

Jonas scoffed at one of the cooks who was explaining his plan in an interview. Ren looked at him, a grin on his face. “What?”

 

“Are you a professional chef now?” Ren asked, leaning backwards, somewhat closer to Jonas than he was before. “Going to start spitting out how they should have fixed their ingredients before cooking?”

 

Jonas shook his head with a small laugh, shaking his finger. “First, that’s called mise en place. And second, no. I just watch a lot of cooking shows.” At Ren’s raised eyebrow and smile, Jonas adds to his sentence. “I think they’re cool, that’s all.”

 

Ren chuckled, shaking his head in disbelief. “Alright, whatever you say, Chef Jonas.” The man grumbled at the nickname, rolling his eyes. 

 

The two kept watching the show, with Jonas shouting out at the tv about the chefs and their ‘improper technique.’ However, when Ren slowly started to lean in closer to Jonas, with his head rest against the others chest, Jonas could feel his heartbeat in his ears, nervous for what this meant and for how he was supposed to act in this situation. 

 

Fortunately, or unfortunately, the door to the apartment swung open, two people chatting as they walked in. The two men on the couch jumped up, blushing from being caught. Jonas was surprised to see Nona walk in with Alex, the two deep in conversation. But at the sudden movement of the two men, Alex looked their way and smiled wider at them, starting to ask Ren what he was doing here. Nona, however, was staring at Jonas with a knowing look and a smirk on her face, and he responded by looking away, his blush darkening. He quickly followed Ren and Alex into the kitchen, promising to make dinner for all of them. His sister agreed immediately, making way for her brother to get his own recipe book that he bought, with her grabbing the ingredients. 

 

Ren cheered, jumping up on the counter and watching the two siblings work in synch, and Nona leaning against the counter near Alex. The four talked about their days, all genuinely interested in what happened to the other. It was obvious that the group of friends were happy to see each other again, and to fall into a familiar rhythm like the one they had in high school.

**Author's Note:**

> I couldn't have done this without the help of friends, whether they just helped with simple editing or gave me great ideas to get over a plot point that I was stuck on. So to all of you who helped: thank you so, so much.


End file.
